HUMN1101: Exploring Love, Hate, and Double Standards in Relationships

This essay delves into the complexities of love, hate, and relationships, using the movie 'A Thin Line Between Love and Hate' as a case study to explore double standards, gender roles, and the importance of communication. The author argues that misunderstandings, assumptions, and unequal application of rules often lead to conflict and broken relationships. By analyzing the characters and plot of the movie, the essay highlights how double standards and a lack of clear communication can blur the line between love and hate. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of mutual understanding, compromise, and overcoming challenges together to achieve true happiness in a relationship, suggesting that clear communication and shared values are essential for lasting love.

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Mah-Queshia Lewis
Christopher Colvin
HUMN1101: Introduction to Humanities
30 August 2024
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Love comes in many forms and definitions. An intense feeling or deep affection, a great interest
and pleasure in something, feel a deep affection for someone, or like or enjoy very much.
Happiness has only one definition “the state of being happy,” but can you have both or one
without the other? Knowing your significant other as well as them knowing you is the only way
you would be able to answer that question. Double standards, gender roles and communication
(in my opinion) are leading causes to break ups, divorces, or any broken home. Double standards
are a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people, groups, or
situations. Most couples lack in communication which leads to assumptions, misunderstandings,
or the use of double standards. Individuals would use double standards to deflect or have the
upper hand in any argument or situation.
A perfect example of the double standards of love is a movie called, “A Thin Line
Between Love and Hate.” The movie is about Ladies' man Darnell Wright (Martin Lawrence) is
used to getting his way with women. Although he is committed to marrying his longtime love,
Mia (Regina King), he can't help himself when he meets the beautiful and standoffish Brandi
(Lynn Whitfield). After bedding and then trying to ditch Brandi, Darnell is in for an unpleasant
surprise: the unhinged Brandi is not about to let Darnell dump her, and she will do anything to

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exact revenge on him for tossing her aside. Darnell uses double standards throughout the movie
with countless women especially in this line, “- Nikki: What you need to be doing, Darnell, is
taking care of me.
- Darnell: Uh, now... when did we establish that you were my woman?
- Nikki: When I opened my legs to you, baby! The contract was signed then.” But met a female
named Brandi that he slept with that was so damaged and broken she says, “A man just comes
along and he buys us off a shelf. Then he plays. Plays with us until he thinks we're no longer fun.
Or until he gets us all dirty, right? Then he just wants to throw us away.” Analyzing this movie
made me consider the issues on gender roles and double standards.
The argument goes that the man is the breadwinner and the subject, the woman the
helpmate and the object because that is the nature of the sexes, because that is the way it's always
been, and just because. (Bambara On The Issues on Roles 103). If a woman chooses to be a
helpmate so be it or if a woman like being a breadwinner as a independent women, single mother
or aids her man in remaining financially stable so be it, but it should be a agreed upon choice not
a double standard, gender role or manipulation. We all somehow grew up learning and observing
the wrong definition of love and happiness but in time only a few break the cycle and find the
true meaning of said terms. If we all knew how to communicate in a way there is no
misunderstandings, gender roles or double standards the world would be better because we
would have a clear understanding of everyone’s intentions. Love is clear communication and
understanding from both points of views. Love is knowing their will be bad or uneasy times but
overcoming them together. Love is compromising to satisfy each other needs, happiness is
always at the end when you look back on all those times you overcame the unthinkable together.

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"A thin line between love and hate" quotes. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate Quotes,
Movie quotes – Movie Quotes .com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://www.moviequotes.com/s-movie/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate/
Google. (n.d.). Google search. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.google.com/search?
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